Two-part Sports Over Beers podcast on Thomas Vanek and U.S. soccer

7/3/2014Sports Over Beers, episode 22. Chris Long on Thomas Vanek and World Cup
Chris Long from KSTP-TV Sports joins to talk about the World Cup and the Wild signing Thomas Vanek. The podcast is divided roughly in half, so if you’re into the Wild, check out about halfway through. But soccer fans and non-soccer fans alike can appreciate the soccer portion, too.
Long talks soccer’s place in the United States. People have said for years that soccer will boom in popularity in the U.S., is this the World Cup that finally makes that come true? Why is his English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur? Will others pick an EPL team and follow Team USA in non-Cup years, or will soccer be ignored? How does Minnesota United FC compare? What do you think of the party atmosphere of their games? Will the United States ever churn out a top-5 talent in the world? The MLS is outdrawing the NBA and the NHL, what’s the next step?
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Wild conversation starts at 27:30…There’s some debate about the top-2 lines now that the Wild have signed Thomas Vanek. There’s disagreement over Mikko Koivu and whether he should be the second-line or third-line center. Is it possible to trade Koivu, and would you want to if you could? Who should the Wild have in goal next season? Do the Wild need to add any extra pieces to be a Stanley Cup contender? What is Darcy Kuemper’s ceiling and can he be the guy for the Wild? What about Josh Harding?
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The podcast is divided roughly in half, so if you're into the Wild, check out about halfway through. But soccer fans and non-soccer fans alike can appreciate the soccer portion, too. People have said for years that soccer will boom in popularity in the U.S., is this the World Cup that finally makes that come true?

Why is his English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur? Will others pick an EPL team and follow Team USA in non-Cup years, or will soccer be ignored? How does Minnesota United FC compare? What do you think of the party atmosphere of their games? Will the United States ever churn out a top-5 talent in the world? The MLS is outdrawing the NBA and the NHL, what's the next step?

Wild conversation starts at 27:30...

There's some debate about the top-2 lines now that the Wild have signed Thomas Vanek. There's disagreement over Mikko Koivu and whether he should be the second-line or third-line center.

Is it possible to trade Koivu, and would you want to if you could? Who should the Wild have in goal next season? Do the Wild need to add any extra pieces to be a Stanley Cup contender?